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Simulator for visual inspection apparatus

a visual inspection and simulator technology, applied in the field of simulators, can solve the problems of inability to decide what the lens of the camera should have, the inspection point to blur in the inspection image, and the simulator is still confronted with a difficulty

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-11-12
DENSO WAVE INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention has been made in consideration of the foregoing problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a simulator which is able to simulate an actual visual inspection in a manner that the actual visual inspection apparatus is able to avoid its camera focus from blurring at a point being inspected of a workpiece.

Problems solved by technology

By the way, prior to actual introduction of the visual inspection apparatus into the production line, it is often undecided that the lens of the camera should have what kind of focus.
As a result, at the operational position of the robot which has been taught, the lens of the camera fails in focusing a desired inspecting point of the workpiece, causing the inspecting point to blur in inspected images.
However, this simulator is still confronted with a difficulty.
Thus, when the robot is actually installed in a factory, it is sometimes difficult to install the robot at a position which has been decided in the simulation.
Hence, this re-simulation will decrease efficiency in installing the robot.

Method used

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  • Simulator for visual inspection apparatus
  • Simulator for visual inspection apparatus
  • Simulator for visual inspection apparatus

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first embodiment

[0029]Referring to FIGS. 1-10, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0030]The present embodiment adopts a visual inspection apparatus as a target to be simulated. This visual inspection apparatus is used in for example in assembling plants, in which the visual inspection apparatus includes a robot with an arm, which robot is disposed on the floor or a ceiling part of an inspection station and a camera attached to the end of the arm. In the inspection station, there is also disposed a carrier device which carries a workpiece being inspected until a position where the inspection is carried. The workpiece, which is at the inspecting point, is subjected to visual appearance inspection.

[0031]The robot is controlled by a controller in a three-dimensional (3D) eigenvalue coordinate system given to the robot, so that the camera can be moved freely in its spatial position and its attitude (direction). While moving the camera to one or more positions which are previou...

second embodiment

[0073]Referring to FIGS. 11-13, a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In the following, the components similar or identical to those of the foregoing first embodiment are given the same reference numerals for the sake of simplified explanation.

[0074]Compared to the first embodiment, the second embodiment differs, as shown in FIG. 12, in that the camera 12 is fixed at a home position and the workpiece W is held by a gripper 19 attached to the end of the arm of the robot 11. Additionally, in addition to the various programs stated in the first embodiment, the hard disk 9 stores data of a program for conversion between the coordinate system given to the camera and the coordinate system given to the robot with the use of the coordinate system provided by acquired images.

[0075]In the present embodiment, under the control of CPU 6, the display device 3 represents the 3D profile of a workpiece, information about inspecting points C and view points is calculate...

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Abstract

A simulator for a visual inspection apparatus is provided. The apparatus is equipped with a robot having an arm and a camera attached to a tip end of the arm, the camera inspecting a point being inspected of a workpiece. Using 3D profile data of a workpiece, information of lenses of cameras, operational data of a robot, simulation for imaging is made for a plurality of points being inspected of the workpiece. For allowing the camera to image the points being inspected of the workpiece, a position and an attitude of the tip end of the arm of the robot are obtained. Based on the obtained position and attitude, it is determined whether or not the imaging is possible. When the imaging is possible, installation-allowed positions of the robot are decided and outputted as candidates of positions for actually installing the robot.

Description

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application relates to and incorporates by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-122185 filed on May 8, 2008.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Technical Field[0003]The present invention relates to a simulator, and in particular, to a simulator for a visual inspection apparatus that uses a camera photographing a point to be inspected of a workpiece using a robot.[0004]2. Related Art[0005]A simulator for visual inspection apparatus is known by Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 2005-52926 and 2004-265041. Of these references, the publication No. 2005-52926 discloses a simulator for setting operational positions of a robot. Practically, CAD (computer aided design) data of a workpiece are used to show 3D views of the workpiece at various different view points. This allows the operator to select a view point which is most proper for imaging a position being inspected of the workpiece. The selected view point is d...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B25J19/04
CPCB25J9/1671G05B2219/37208G05B2219/35346G05B17/02
Inventor UEYAMA, TSUYOSHI
Owner DENSO WAVE INC